Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction, on Friday met the leaders of his party and discussed with them the issues surrounding the contentious Maharashtra`s Madha and Nashik seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024, reported the PTI.

Talking to reporters, Ajit Pawar-led state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare said that the party office-bearers from Phaltan and Man-Khatav in Satara district of Maharashtra led by senior leader Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar met Ajit Pawar, party`s working president Praful Patel and other leaders to discuss the Madha seat, according to the PTI.

“The candidate of the ruling Mahayuti alliance (comprising Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP) for the Madha seat has already been declared. BJP`s Ranjit Naik Nimbalkar will contest it. But the issues surrounding this seat will be resolved in a day or two,” he said when asked about the opposition to Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar`s nomination from the ruling allies, the news agency reported on Friday.

Former Maharashtra deputy chief minister and BJP leader Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil and Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, who is with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, have openly opposed Ranjit Naik Nimbalkar`s candidature from Madha.

Sunil Tatkare said the issue of Nashik parliamentary constituency also came up for discussion during the meeting.

Both these constituencies and the remaining seats where candidates have not been declared so far, will be done in a day or two after discussion with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, he added, as per the PTI.

The Maharashtra`s Nashik seat is currently held by Hemant Godse of the ruling Shiv Sena. But ally NCP is now keen on contesting it and wants to field senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who has turned down a proposal to contest on the BJP symbol.

Sunil Tatkare said the notification for the third phase of polling in 11 seats in the state was issued on Friday and the party discussed its campaign strategy for these constituencies.

The Lok Sabha elections 2024 to the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra will be conducted in five phases between April 19 and May 20. The counting of votes will be done on June 4.

(with PTI inputs)

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